Tag: Il Motore

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Music

Bowerbirds swoop down on Montreal

Bowerbirds performed tracks from the newest album. Photo by writers.
Bowerbirds played an intimate show at Il Motore. Photo by writers.

In a little performance bar, hidden away in a fairly quiet part of the city, American new-folk band Bowerbirds played to a few dozen appreciative Montrealers on June 19. It was one of the last stops, and the only Canadian one, on their 2012 tour of Europe and North America.

The venue, Il Motore, was charming and comfortable but looked hastily put together. Christmas lights were strung from the ceiling and chairs were scarce. However, this did nothing to detract from the performance, as the lack of seating was forgotten soon after the show began.

Deserving more than a passing mention was the opening act, Sarah Neufeld, who played solo on the violin. Her music was suited to her fairy-like appearance, though the depth and complexity that she drew from her instrument, and the passion with which she played was surprising. Everyone, the Bowerbirds included, was impressed.

The band members themselves seemed very natural and comfortable on-stage and off, mingling with the crowd before and after their performance, and even selling their own merchandise (which was blessedly affordable). On the other hand, the crowd was quiet but very polite, swaying peaceably along to the band’s trademark melancholy folk sound. Light, airy guitar, velvety drums and crisp vocals transported the audience to a forest-like utopia, where they were free to get utterly lost in the music.

About halfway through the show, the group surprised the audience with what they described as a ‘protest song.’ It was uncharacteristically angry, but fitting with the Bowerbirds’ common themes of respect and appreciation for the environment. Despite the change in tone, they managed to pull it off without being preachy or artless.

There was a collective sound of disappointment when the band’s lead singer and guitarist, Philip Moore, declared that the next song would be their last for the evening. The plan was thwarted by the audience’s polite but insistent applause. Three more songs were played, including a cover of Canadian artist Doug Paisley’s “No One but You.” Surprisingly enough, this set did not include what is arguably the Bowerbirds’ most popular tune, “In Our Talons.” Instead, they opted to play tracks from their latest album, The Clearing, released this past March.

All in all, the show was just what one would expect from the Bowerbirds; warm, laid-back, intimate, and laced with little surprises to top it all off.

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Music

Black Dice: Cheap and Cheerful

Black Dice from left to right: Aaron Warren, Bjorn Copeland and Eric Copeland
Black Dice from left to right: Aaron Warren, Bjorn Copeland and Eric Copeland
For ten bucks, dozens witnessed Black Dice, true pioneers of the noise scene, put on a pretty good show at Il Motore on May 4. Though some music aficionados may say the band is past its musical prime, Black Dice definitely brought it.

Most of the set was comprised of material found on their latest release, Mr. Impossible, and the album that came prior to that one, Repo. Their newer material is more upbeat and dance-driven than their previous work, but still full of experimental improvisation.

There were definitely die-hard Black Dice fans present, but the venue capacity and the cheap ticket price could explain why the audience seemed full of kids who may have strolled in on impulse. The crowd appeared bored; a handful of girls were grinding in front of the stage like it was a Sean Paul concert, but most others were head-banging softly, dancing with minimal movement, or standing far apart from each other. It seemed as if the obsessive fans may have stayed home, for not much passion radiated from the crowd.

Local act Strong Boss served as a fitting warm-up for the headliner. Boasting a lineup of seven members, including three drummers, their heavy sound pulsated through the venue and provided much needed energy to a crowd that showed up late to a show that was delayed a few hours.

Black Dice certainly isn’t dull live; the musicians didn’t appear extremely excited, but they put on an energetic show complete with members jumping around and actively moving most of the time, giving them a high grade for stage presence. The bass was explosive and their high-pitched frequencies were bouncing off the walls of the tiny but cozy Il Motore. They did not stop in between songs for a breather or even to speak to their audience–they simply played.

The set was not really filled with the earlier noise-driven Black Dice signature sound, for it seems they have turned to dance-rock. They may find difficulty holding on to their older fans with the change, but attracting new fans is never a bad thing. For ten dollars, both new and old fans got much more than what they paid for.

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Music

Passovah Productions’ and Soupson team up for a steamy night of music and soup

What could be better than a show with more than 30 performers where they feed you amazing home-cooked lemon spinach soup from a dépanneur next door? The answer to that is: a pay what you can show with more than 30 performers where they feed you amazing home-cooked lemon spinach soup from a dépanneur next door!
He might only be 21 years old, but Noah Bick has been organizing and promoting events and music around Montreal long enough to secure a solid line-up of musicians to help him ring in his production company’s fourth birthday.
“I tried to book a fourth year anniversary show to kind of best represent where Passovah’s at, and I felt like this vibe—getting 12 different acts who represent different musical groups around the community—kind of made the most sense.”
“[Il Motore] is a good space to have it. It’s a relatively new venue, it needs love, it’s in a part of town that people are starting to move to, and then there’s the [Jean-Talon] Marché,” Bick continued. And then there’s Marché Soupson.
“It’s kind of like a dépanneur, but it’s more than a dépanneur,” explained Bick. “[The owner] makes fresh soup every day and she cures her own meat. So we’re getting free soup from them that we’re giving out.”
“We’re really trying to create a strong community vibe. And it’s pay-what-you-can in order not to get anyone turned away at the door,” he said. “And all the bands are just friends that I’ve made over the years doing these bookings so it’s kind of just a big hangout, party, celebration thing.”
But the only way to get 12 acts on a single-night bill was to give them each 15-minute sets. So that’s what Bick did.
Partiers will be treated to performances by Arcade Fire’s DJ Jeremy Gara, Charlotte Cornfield, Freelove Fenner, Mike O’Brien, Jordan Robson Cramer of Ancient Kids and Sunset Rubdown, Alden Penner from Hidden Words, ex-Clues and ex-Unicorns, Cotton Mouth’s Martin Horn, Caroline Keating, Lisa Gamble aka Gambletron, and Adam Waito of Adam & the Amethysts.
“It’s kind of hard not to be involved in Passovah if you’re an emerging local band,” said Waito, who played the first-ever Passovah show with his then band Telefauna. “You will have crossed paths with Passovah for sure because they’re quite prolific.”
“I think what he offers to [POP Montreal and Blue Skies Turn Black] and the community at large is a fresh exuberance for new and emerging bands. It’s not only refreshing for concert-goers, but also for other promoters who’ve been at it for longer and maybe need that young blood in the mix to keep the excitement alive,” Waito added.
The bromance is alive and well in Bick, too. He’s as excited, or more, about Waito being on the scene in Montreal.
“I hear that Adam Waito and Rebecca [Lessard] from Adam and the Amethysts might be doing a Bran Van 3000 cover,” said Bick, laughing. “But that may or may not be happening.”
The night’s proverbial ninja goes by the name of Taylor Swifter, a local Taylor Swift cover band.
“I didn’t really appreciate Taylor Swift,” said Bick, “and now I kind of like their versions of her songs more than I like Taylor Swift songs. It’s going to be exciting.”
“They told me not to talk about it too much,” he admitted. “It’s really, really good. You’ll mark my words in a couple months. It’s incredible.”

Passovah’s 4th anniversary goes down Friday, Feb. 10 at Il Motore (179 Jean-Talon West) at 9 p.m., but you’ll want to go early to make sure you get free soup—it’s only being served to the first 75 people. Even if you don’t make it in time for soup, the celebration is free or pay-what-you-can. It’s a win-win.

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